Lever VC Sees Opportunity for Plant-Based and "Clean" Meat in China

ACCESSWIRE11 Sep 2019, 01:01 GMT+10

Lever VC is a Venture Capital Fund Investing in Early Stage Companies in the Alternative Protein Sector

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 10, 2019 /Lever VC believes that as the global demand for protein increases, so will the need to find sustainable, clean, bio-identical animal solutions. As the market for alternative protein products expands, early investors in this sector are looking to China as a major market and opportunity for plant-based products and companies.

China represents one of the largest markets for alternative protein products. Total animal protein consumption in China is currently double that of the United States, the world's second largest consumer, and is on a continued rise. The number of Chinese consumers motivated to shift their protein purchases based on health, sustainability or animal welfare concerns is increasing, as the sale of organic foods is quickly rising.

This increased interest in healthy and sustainable food has also fueled the fast growth of the alternative protein space in China over the past 10 years. Despite the low amount of innovation and the small number of start-ups in this space, China boasts the world's largest plant-based meat sector and by far the world's largest plant-based dairy sector with companies tailoring their alternative products towards local specialties. In China, there is also a very high level of concern with food safety, which has led to a great value being placed on foods perceived as cleaner and more reliable than conventional products.

"We're most excited by companies that are producing products tailored to local cuisine," says Nick Cooney, Founder and Managing Partner of Lever VC. "Chinese consumers seem to be more open to novel foods than consumers in any other country."

Lever VC has already begun partnering with several major food industry players in both mainland China and the greater China region to bring modern alternative protein technologies and startups to the region. Lever VC also led the investment rounds for Avant Meats, the first clean meat company in China, and Marvelous Foods, the first plant-based yogurt producer in China.

About Lever VC and Nick Cooney

Founded in 2017, Lever VC is a venture capital firm based Hong Kong and New York City. Lever VC's partners have deployed over $1.5 billion in capital over the past decade across a variety of sectors, including over thirty deals in the alternative protein space. Lever VC's team includes venture partners and staff in San Francisco, Paris and Tel Aviv, and advisors with deep expertise in Food & Beverage and alternative protein technology.